Tag: Immune System

Aditi Kaveti ’23 Peanut allergies affect 6% to 8% of children around the world. Living with severe allergies is extremely dangerous and requires close monitoring of the ingredients in packaged foods and at restaurants. Many packaged products warn that the food was manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts or tree nuts. These trace amounts seem inconsequential, but they can lead to severe allergic reactions. … Continue reading A Long-Term Solution for Individuals Living With Peanut Allergies

Nicole Zhao ’20 A food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs when exposed to a certain food (1). Symptoms resulting from an allergic reaction include digestive problems, hives, swollen airways and even anaphylaxis (1). Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction and encompasses a variety of symptoms with high severity (2). During an allergic reaction, the immune system recognizes that a specific food … Continue reading New Targeted Therapy May Prevent and Reverse Food Allergies

By Nicole Zhao ’20 Numerous cancer research projects are dedicated to investigating the primary tumor and its microenvironment. Though this is undoubtedly important, the role of immune cells during cancer dispersion in the blood cells is largely uncharacterized. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) lead to metastasis of several types of cancers and its levels are often a predictor of survival rate. These cells are often found … Continue reading Neutrophils Escort Circulating Tumor Cells and Increase Metastatic Potential

By Nicole Zhao ’20 Numerous pathological conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease have been connected to insufficient or interrupted sleep. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms by which sleep maintains health. In this study, it was found that sleep regulates hematopoiesis and protects against atherosclerosis in mice. Hematopoiesis is the process of forming blood cellular components from stem cells. Research … Continue reading Sleep Modulates Hematopoiesis and Protects Against Atherosclerosis

By Allan Mai ‘20 A sure sign of the progression of cancer occurs when tumor cells from the initial site of development breaks off and enters the bloodstream, invading other healthy tissue. A recently published study conducted by Barbara Szczerba and her team from the Cancer Metastasis Lab at the University of Basel found that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are associated with white blood cells, … Continue reading Cancer Cells Hijack Immune Cells

By Julia Newman ’19 Immunologist Dr. Baker, working at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, has recently discovered something about bats that can protect humans from multiple deadly diseases. Bats are known to be carriers of various diseases such as Ebola and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome. However, unlike humans, the bats are not affected as carriers, prompting research into their immunological responses. Studies have shown that … Continue reading Bat Immune Systems Could Strengthen Our Own

By Anirudh Chandrashekar The role of Y-shaped antibodies to fight viruses, bacteria and different forms of cancers is a heavily researched field. For many years, researchers have sought to develop and optimize antibodies and other protein-based therapies to supplement and revitalize the host’s defense system. At the same time, these antibodies have multiple drawbacks; antibodies are generally extremely bulky and need to be administered intravenously. To … Continue reading A Pill that Mimics the Immune System